This invention relates generally to a manually operated pump sprayer of simple design with few moving parts especially adapted for dispensing small amounts of liquid product such as samples and/or concentrates of, for example, perfumes and colognes, from a connected vial of miniature form requiring no vent.
More particularly, the present pump sprayer, a throttle pump of the fingertip operated variety, has a plunger which supports an inlet valve probe which controls the inletting of product into the pump chamber, and a separate discharge valve mounted in the head.
Pump sprayers, exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,025,046, 4,311,255 and 4,735,347, have a probe or sleeve operated by the plunger for controlling the inlet except that such pumps are of the pressure build-up variety requiring an independent valve sometimes referred to as a poppet valve which closes the inlet during the pressure stroke and which in response to the build up of pressure in the pump chamber, shifts independently of the plunger movement to open the discharge against the force of a return spring. Upon release of finger pressure applied against the head, the poppet valve shifts to close the discharge in response to spring pressure at the commencement of the return stroke of the plunger.
Non pressure build-up pumps are also known as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,211,346 and 2,788,925, in which a valve stem plugs into the inlet for controlling the product intake into the chamber during the pressure stroke, and a discharge port in the plunger stem is uncovered during the pressure stroke for opening the discharge.